Trends

Age Matters, But Should It?

Age Matters, But Should It?

Garth Beyer

Steve Jobs has more experience than me, but if I have read up on every single lesson he has learned from all his experience, then does he actually know more? or do we know the same amount? or do I still know less?

I’m toying with the concept of age and why it matters so much. I’ve had a number of experiences where I could do something, but my age got in the way.

While still in high school I applied for a newspaper job, a job people go through four years of college to do and number of internships to get, but I knew I could do it well enough or at least learn fast enough to do it as well as anyone else.

No surprise, I didn’t get the job. I was too young.

I wanted to run a seminar on finances, but was told not enough people would come because what 40-year-old is going to believe anything a 19-year-old has to say, regardless of the fact I’ve written more than 200 articles on money management, started selling at age 6, bought a Corvette at the age of 15, and graduated without any debt and studied everything all the financial gurus put out there.

Even with the experience, I was still too young.

Knowledge is power…so long as you’re at an age people will believe that

I’m constantly blogging about business, startups, and public relations concepts. I’m spitting out things I know to be true, part from experience, part from obsessively studying others’ success and failures and learning from other people.

If I’m not talking to someone about the marketing industry or a business idea either of us have, I have buds in my ear listening to others share their stories via podcasts, if not that, I’m lifting weights while thinking about trends or talking to my girlfriend about the next thing I’m going to chase. I’m a carrot guy, not a stick guy, and I’m still not as trusted as Steve Jobs, Seth Godin or Chris Brogan because, well, they’re older than me.

Knowledge, wisdom, insight are all very subjective matters. I’ve worked heavily the last year and a half to convince others I have all the above despite my (in the grand scheme of things) minimum amount of experience. Through that process I’ve lost connection with a lot of my readers. After an email from a blunt friend and conversation with my girlfriend (likely to be posted on my blog tomorrow), I’ve realized I stopped doing what I preach others to do: be personal.

Age matters, and fighting the perception others have is an uphill battle I’m exhausted fighting. Instead of sharing what I know, I will again be sharing how I came to know it. I’ll show how I’ve become a 22-year-old with a 30-year-old brain and why I find myself saying “I’m such an old man” more often than I like.

I invite you to stop by GarthBox more often. There will be more about my suffering, anxiety, nervousness, uncertainty, risk-taking, and lying to myself, and, of course, how I’ve overcome it all.

 

Stay Positive & Stick Around For The Ride

*In lieu of this sort-of announcement blog post, In The Box Podcast will be available on iTunes beginning of March. My cohost Michael Langlois and I chat about 6 themes, which you’ll know about in advance of each podcast so you can listen to just what you want to hear. I hope you find them all interesting and…personal.


					

	
	



			
				



	
Three Phases Of Trends

	

		
Three Phases Of Trends


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
Trends


First, people start a trend. Naturally they don’t know it’s a trend yet. Massive quick adoption of the act makes it a trend. Political blogging only had a trending impact once many others started blogging.


Second, people begin noticing the trend. Journalists start writing about political blogs. People other than the bloggers themselves talk about the impact of political blogging.


Third, people start following the trend. The increase of political blogs, not necessarily the immediate early flood of them, but the later consistent growth of them is a representation of following a trend. Instagram, Toms shoes, #scarystoriesin5words, Apple products – all examples too.


Although it is difficult to predict what action will become a trend, it is not impossible.


I had a dream the other night where I ran into Seth Godin at an eyewear store. Although he was dressed up as if he worked there, he wasn’t working. Instead, he was watching everyone who walked by, everyone who came inside and picked up frames to try on, and everyone who voiced their issues.


He was observing all three phases of trends.


1. He listened to the problems people came in with. After all, most trends are just solutions to a problem.


2. Those who entered the store to try on the frames were the ones noticing the trend. After all, the store pushes and showcases what they see is a recent trend in eyewear design.


3. Lastly, everyone who made the purchase of a showcase item or knew full well what they wanted when they entered the store were followers of a trend. After all, there’s not much convincing needed for followers of a trend.


I see it as this: there are actions taking place, things happening that are waiting to be written about, pointed out, learned from, and shared. We can play a role in any of the three phases of trends. We can start them by creating the solution to a problem or we can jump on the bandwagon.


 


Stay Positive & Do You See These Phases Happening?


if not, perhaps you need new glasses


Photo credit

					

	
	



			
				



	
	

		
You’re Not All Over The Place


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
You’re evolving regularly, you’ve implemented fast feedback loops, you are focused on representing significant changes. I’ve got your back. The entire market does, actually.


I’ve taken enough looks at businesses thinking they were all over the place in their strategy and checked back in with them months later to find they are at the forefront of a trend.


They evolved into trend-makers rather than trend-followers.


 


Stay Positive & What Are You?


 

					

	
	



			
				


			
				



	
	

		
Trendsetting To 2014


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
Design


    

  • It’s statistically proven that what people care more about in occupations than money is purpose.
    • 

  • Every day I read about people trying to find meaningful work, some finding it.
    • 

  • All the workplace infographics I come across point out that people want flexibility, space to grow into and a bit of freedom for how they accomplish their tasks.
    • 



These are the most significant trends of 2013.


Now nearing 2014 these trends are shifting. In 2014 they will be as follows:


– It will be statistically proven (blatantly noticeable) that people will not settle for an occupation that doesn’t align with the purpose they see for themselves.


– Every day I will read about people creating their own meaningful work. They will have quit searching for someone else’s box to fit in.


– All the workplace infographics I will come across will point out that people will construct their own schedules entirely (with some regularity near an average), they themselves will be the only roadblocks in their way, growth will be infinite, and along with their complete freedom to carry out tasks their way, they will have ever more pressure to be unique about it and accomplish more tasks throughout the year.


Which I have summed up to be 2014: The year of design.


 


Stay Positive & More On This As 2013 Comes To A Close


Garth E. Beyer


Photo credit

					

	
	



			
				



	
	

		
Statistics, Trends, and Meaning


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
StatsTrendsMeaning


Our world is plastered with statistics. Some good. Some bad. But all, relative, subjective, and never quite capturing the whole picture.


That’s a statistic though.


What we want is that bittersweet spot between the alphabet and the number system, between a statistic and the reality of it all. (The reality being that one can never simplify their lives down to fulfill one statistic.) What we want is trends.


Discovering trends creates a yin-yang vibe to creativity. Fifty percent of your mind thinks, “hey, similar ideas to this have worked in the past,” or “these numbers look offly familiar to the numbers in 1980, 1964, and 1952.” The other 50 percent of your mind is asking “what does this mean?”


You have a field covered with geese. The geese then take flight and you have a flock. The flock flies in a V formation, and now you have meaning.


Statistics alone make you think of all the goose poop on the ground. Put the statistics together and give them a kick, and you have a trend – something that works consistently and collectively. Then it is to each his own to derive meaning from it.


The meaning you come up with is what becomes invaluable to your readers and listeners.


Note though, that detailing the meaning alone in a book though, is pointless.


There’s a famous philosopher called Kierkegaard. He wrote an insanely long volume about the existence of God. In the end, he notes that all of what you have read is pointless, that nothing of it matters, but the journey was an important one for you to take to make that realization. This is the result of only writing about meaning. It’s a journey, yes, and maybe entertaining, but in the end, pointless.


It is the statistics and the trends that you put before the meaning which induce action. Without them there are no stepping-stones, only preaching to an audience who has no reason to believe you are credible enough to be preaching. Meaning alone is simply interesting.


 


Stay Positive & Use Statistics and Trends. Don’t Pull A Kierkegaard.


Garth E. Beyer

					

	
	



			
				



	
	

		
Tips From PR Professionals At Edelman (Chicago)


					

				Garth Beyer			

			


			

			
Don’t be afraid to stalk. (Find out who you can connect with in the agency you wish to join. Be where they are.)


Stay on trends. (This costs time and money, yea, but it’s always worth it.)


Schedule frequent events to be on. (Get used to always be focused, paying attention to detail, connecting, working, there is no off button.)


Learn fiction writing


Learn client speak


Organize everything and get it all done early. (Projects get reviewed constantly, you must always be prepared to divulge your plan and progress.)